Bald Eagle - DC / National Arboretum

[Alison]

Tri-State Bird Rescue just posted the necropsy results for Valor. 

Dear friends, we know many have been waiting to hear the results of the necropsy report for Valor. We received the report yesterday, and the findings confirm several things. First, Valor was indeed male. Second, West Nile Virus had caused severe softening and swelling in one area of his brain; this accounts for his neurological symptoms. Some evidence of parasites in the gastrointestinal tract was found, but this is very common in wild birds, and in this case, likely had little to no effect on his condition. Finally, tests for Influenza A as well as multiple toxins were negative. Being trusted to care for our native wildlife is a privilege, and we thank you all again for your concern, care, and support.



https://www.facebook.com/tristatebirdrescue/photos/a.220780611280312/2426009260757425/?type=3

[Alison]

The American Eagle Foundation posted a beautiful tribute to Valor. He was only 13 weeks old, and such a special and beautiful eaglet. He should have been flying free with his sibling Victory . . . this is a very hard loss.

https://www.eagles.org/remembering-valor/

[burdi]

I am so very sorry to share this update on Valor, which was posted by Tri-State Bird Rescue a couple of hours ago. It is devastating news. 

Poor, poor Valor, he was still so young, and just thinking of the pain or confusion he went through is terribly heartbreaking.

[Alison]

I am so very sorry to share this update on Valor, which was posted by Tri-State Bird Rescue a couple of hours ago. It is devastating news. 



August 8 2018

It is with heavy hearts that we share this update. The lack of improvement in Valor's neurologic symptoms after a week of aggressive supportive care led us to the decision to humanely end Valor's suffering before his condition deteriorated further. We learned yesterday afternoon that Valor had tested positive for West Nile virus; we had suspected that this was the cause of his symptoms.

Infection with this virus is not always fatal in birds; however, after seven days of intensive supportive care, Valor remained slow to respond to stimuli and displayed no signs of improvement. He had to be force-fed as he showed no appetite and refused to hand-feed or self-feed. Valor was extremely lethargic and had head and body tremors -- signs of advancing West Nile disease. Our professional assessment was that it was extremely unlikely that he would recover, even for placement at an educational facility. Subjecting him to further treatment, handling, and captivity and prolonging his suffering would have been inhumane and contrary to our principles as wildlife rehabilitators. A necropsy will be performed at another facility.

In the past five years, we've treated 300 Bald Eagles along with over 10,000 other wild birds that have relied on us for care. As professionals, we do our very best for each and every single patient, as we always have and will continue to do, and this includes Valor. We share the deep sorrow you feel for his loss and hope you know that your passion for native wildlife matters. It is so inspiring to see the community rally behind a wild animal in need; thank you to everyone who showed support for Valor and Tri-State. While this outcome was not what we wanted, there are thousands of success stories of animals receiving a second chance at life in the wild at our center and wildlife rehabilitation centers around the world -- this is what motivates our staff and volunteers to continue caring for wildlife in need every day. To understand more about West Nile Virus please go to: https://www.raptor.umn.edu/our-research/west-nile.

Thank you all again for your support. Thank you for your understanding that we do not have the resources to reply to individual questions or phone calls about this case.

https://www.facebook.com/tristatebirdrescue/posts/2392125720812446

[Alison]

However, on August 3 Tri-State Bird Rescue posted the following update:

Valor arrived yesterday at TSBRR. We are sorry to report that his condition is very poor. This young bird is severely underweight and anemic; he shows signs of long-standing nutritional and developmental issues. We will continue to do our best and we will post an update on Monday.

[Alison]

On August 2, Valor was transferred to Tri-State Bird Rescue for further observation and care.

[Alison]

August 8, 2018

This year, Mr. President and The First Lady raised two beautiful eaglets. They were named Valor and Victory.

On June 26, Valor fledged accidentally and eventually ended up on the ground. On July 30, he was rescued and taken into care.

"Valor was found on the ground in the neighborhood behind the Arboretum. Dan Rauch (DOEE) assisted Animal Control in catching up Valor, and the bird was transported to a local wildlife rehabilitation center. The veterinarian on staff examined Valor and reports that there are no obvious injuries, problems or any specific news, and he is now resting for the night. AEF will report updates as they are obtained."

The following day, this update was posted:

"Radiographs revealed no broken bones, initial blood work showed nothing abnormal. Gender blood work will be performed. Valor will be transferred to another rehabilitation center that has a large flight run, this will allow him/her to gain strength and confidence in flying. Valor will be fitted with two bands, one from USFWS (silver) and one that signifies the Chesapeake Bay region (Purple & White). We expect Valor to be released back in the Arboretum in about a week."

[The Peregrine Chick]

National Arboretum
Washington, DC

The pair are Mr President and the First Lady and they are nesting in a Tulip Poplar Tree in the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.  "The First Lady" laid her first egg of 2016 on February 10th, and laid her second egg on February 14th early in the morning. Both parents will carefully incubate the eggs, and both eggs are expected to hatch about 35 days after being laid.

The American Eagle Foundation has partnered with the National Arboretum to install and stream two high definition video cameras from the top of the nest tree. One camera is right at the nest, the other is shows the nest and the surrounding tree branches and it looks like some of the lights of the city in the background if you are watching after dark.  The cameras are powered completely by a large solar array designed and donated by Alfred State University.  There is a chat roll on the webcam page for those wanting to comment.

webcam link - http://www.eagles.org/dceaglecam/

National Arboretum link - http://www.usna.usda.gov/